Humans are social creatures. No matter how happy you might be spending time by yourself, science tells us that we are most healthy when we spend time with other people. So over time, our sleep has evolved to aid us in a social environment, boosting the skills we need to navigate this interpersonal world.

This Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to talk about the ways sleep helps us in our romantic relationships specifically. While being in a romantic relationship can be a fun and rewarding experience, it’s also not exactly easy. We humans may be social creatures, but we’re also individuals, and we come into every relationship with our own histories, aspirations, quirks, and pet peeves, which makes blending your life with someone else a definite “learningexperience”, to put it nicely.

When you think of the resolutions that usually end up on people’s lists for the new year—losing weight, exercising more, improving relationships, getting a promotion or a better job—it’s probably not often that you hear “sleep better” included. And that’s really a shame, because the health benefits of sleep are so crucial to our success in all different areas of life. What many don’t know is that consistently healthy sleep can actually help them achieve all of these different resolutions.

While the holidays can be one of the most fun times of the year, most of us will admit it also requires a lot of energy. From traveling long distances to visit relatives, to wading through crowds and long lines at the store, there’s a lot to do during the holidays that can leave us feeling drained if we’re not careful. The good thing is that practicing healthy sleep habits is an easy way to keep spirits bright no matter what the holidays throw at you. Here are four ways that a good night’s sleep helps you survive the holidays.

It’s a situation we all hope to never be in, but there may come a time where you find yourself waiting with a loved one in the hospital while they recover (whether it’s for a shorter period or long-term). If you do take on this responsibility, one thing you’ll definitely need is sleep. Good sleep keeps you more positive, more alert, and keeps your immune system working like it’s supposed to, which are all important qualities when you’re supporting someone in the hospital. Unfortunately, a hospital is far from home, and getting healthy sleep can be difficult in such an unfamiliar (and uncomfortable) environment, for both you and your recovering loved one.

Here are our tips for getting the best sleep possible during overnights in the hospital:

Unless you happen to be living on a far-off island all by yourself, without phone or television, living off a simple diet of coconut water and local vegetation, chances are you know of at least one thing that’s causing you to worry right now. If you’re like most people in today’s fast-paced world, there is a whole slew of things causing you to be concerned every day.

Where stress really hits us is our sleep. High stress means poor quality sleep, and poor sleep does no good for our stresses. This cycle continues to build up on itself, stirring up a hurricane of stress with you right at the center.